The Beginning of the End
by PacWoman
Summary: Diego x Mia T&T spoiler Maya stumbles across one of Mia’s old diaries and learns of her past as a young attorney working with Diego.
1. Dear Diary

"Nick, when was the last time you bothered to look at these books?" Maya asked. The purple-clad nineteen-year-old stood on top of a rickety metal stool that looked as if it were about to give way any second. She grabbed her feathered duster and gently dusted Mia's old collection of books that Phoenix never bothered to look at.

Phoenix ignored Maya's question; being too preoccupied in his own thoughts. The latest case that he was involved in was still looming in his conscious mind. It was his first day back at the office after his case with Iris. He took the previous day off after being out late celebrating his recent victory with his friends over at Tres Bien.

The sound of metal crashing down to the floor finally dragged Phoenix out of his mind. He leapt out of his chair and looked over at Maya, who was sitting there in the floor with the broken stool kicked over at the other side of the room.

"Ouch, that hurt!" Maya exclaimed. She leapt up to her feet and brushed off her purple robe while adjusting her black hair.

"Are you alright?" Phoenix asked.

Maya opened her mouth to answer but she cut herself off. She saw something shining on the floor. "Oh, what's that?" She stooped over to pick it up.

"_I guess that does mean she's alright…" _He thought to himself as a small smile formed on his lips.

She stood up strait and held a thick gold bracelet at her eye level. The raven-haired girl examined the bracelet at different angles and then handed it over to the curious "Nick" who was standing beside her.

The first thing that Phoenix noticed when he saw the bracelet was the inscription on the inside of it. He twisted the bracelet and read the inscription out loud slowly. "_Always and Forever, my Kitten_." He shrugged and handed it over to Maya.

"I wonder if it belonged to Mia…" The young spirit medium thought out loud. "Do you think she'd mind us going through her possessions…?" She looked up at the young attorney.

"Somehow, I think that she would want you to find it." After Phoenix said that, Maya remained silent.

Wordlessly, Maya stooped over and picked up a tattered leather book that fell off the bookshelf along with the bracelet and other stuff. _"This looks different then all the other books." _Maya thought to herself. She flipped over the floppy cover and opened up the first page.

"What is it?" He asked, peeking over her shoulder, looking at Mia's elegant penmanship.

"It looks like its Mia's old diary." Maya announced as she fingered through the large book. "Should we?" The teenager pointed at the book.

"I don't see why not…" Phoenix ran his fingers through his spiky hair and grinned sheepishly.

Maya flipped over to the first page. "Dear Diary…" She began to read out loud.

Part 2

_Dear Diary, _

_Tomorrow is my first day at Grossberg's Criminal Defense Law offices. I'm so exited I can hardly sleep! It's my first job as an attorney, so it's very exiting for me. I'm really wondering what the other attorneys are like. I can't wait until I get to go to court. I doubt that they'll let me go anytime soon though. After all, I am still fresh off the bar. It should be nice helping out in court though. I really want to help people any way I can; even if it means just filling out papers and finding evidence. I should probably attempt to go to sleep soon. The faster I fall asleep, the faster I can start my new day tomorrow. _

Mia unclicked her pen, closed her diary and slapped it on top of her large, wooden desk at the far side of her one-room apartment. She stood up from her plush, leather chair and walked over towards the bathroom where she slipped out of her suit and into her long, white, simply-designed, cotton nightgown. Mia looked in the mirror and carefully brushed her waste-length brown hair so it wouldn't get tangled at night. Afterwards, she reached for her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth.

Finally, her nightly ritual was done and she moved back into her dimly-lit, simply designed bedroom. She let out a yawn and slipped under her green comforter. Practically as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

The night past very quickly for Mia; pretty soon the sunlight filtered into her room through the curtains. Her eyes began to flicker open and she slowly rose from her bed. She shook her head from side to side, in an attempt to clear her dead. Then, it dawned on her; today was her first day at work. Her brown eyes widened and she swung her legs over her bed and ran over to the bathroom. Even though she had more then enough time to spare, Mia still wanted to arrive early for her first day at work.

She hurried into the shower and turned on the water. After going through her ritual in the shower, she hopped out and dried off and wrapped a towel around her buxom body. After brushing her teeth again, she leaned in closer to the mirror and applied her makeup. She reached for the blow-dryer and dried off all the water in her hair. _What should I wear? _Mia thought to herself. She wandered over inside of her bedroom and picked out her favorite black suit. She slipped it on and ran a comb through her fine brown hair. Finally, she looked into the full-length mirror and smiled at what she saw looking back at her. She looked amazing in her suit. She worried that she looked too amazing though, for her neckline was very low and her skirt was very short; she didn't want to make a bad first impression. Her face looked like that of an angel with her expressive eyes and thick lips and her there wasn't a hair out of place on her head. She slipped on her favorite pair of white high-heals, grabbed her long black trench coat and her over-the shoulder black purse, and walked out the door.

Luckily, Mia lived close to her new office so it was only a quick ten minute walk to get to work. Because it was in the middle of December, it was very cold outside. Mia was very glad that she brought her long trench coat. Even though it was cold outside, it was still an enjoyable walk for Mia. Before she knew it, she found herself at the front door of Grossberg's office. She took in a deep breath to steady herself and pushed the door open.

The foyer was beautiful; there was a large couch for visitors to sit on along with a wooden coffee table. Many pictures hung on the tan walls which gave the room a welcoming feeling. Mia hung her coat on the coat hanger on the other side of the room and gingerly walked over to the couch. She slowly sat down and began to fidget with her hands.

"Ah, Mia Fey, it's a pleasure to see you again." She hopped up from her chair to greet the stout man clad in a red suit waddling over towards her. The two of them then shook hands. The man was obviously older; his grey hair and mustache gave that away.

"Mr. Grossberg; thank you for hiring me." Mia flashed him a smile and smoothed out her dress.

"Come inside of your new office; you'll be sharing with Mr. Armando."

"Oh, Diego Armando, the famous defense attorney?" Mia asked as she followed him down the hallway.

"The one and only." She heard an unfamiliar voice answer. She let out a gasp of surprise and spun around on her heels. She was then face-to-face with her new co-worker. She instantly felt intimidated by him. He was much taller then she and his rippling muscles showed through his silk vest and red shirt. His skin radiated a healthy glow and his hair was black and spiked back. He smirked when he saw the young attorney. There was something about his smirk that when combined with his expressive dark eyes that just made Mia's heart pound in her chest. His sheer masculinity intimidated her so she had a hard time looking up at him directly in the eye. So, instead she focused on his black goatee and looked at his eyebrows instead of looking at him directly in the eye.

"Mr. Armando, this is our newest lawyer, Mia Fey." Mr. Grossberg pointed to Mia.

The man grabbed her hand and kissed it. At that moment, Mia hopped that she wasn't blushing too much. "It's a pleasure."

"For the next few months, you will be training with Mr. Armando." Grossberg continued to speak. "You know; helping him out with cases and stuff."

Mia's heart then sank at that moment. Even though she knew she wouldn't have any of her own cases for the first few months, she still had this faint flicker of hope that she would be able to try her first case.

"Well, I'll leave you two kids alone; I'll be in my office should you need anything, Mia." With that, the stout man walked down the hall and vanished behind a door.

"Come inside," Diego motioned for Mia to enter the office. It was quite a large, spacious office with an ebony desk sitting in the center with a matching table at the far side of the room cluttered with papers and a coffee pot. There were three leather swivel chairs there; one for Diego, one for Mia, and another for the client. The walls were painted burgundy and the floors were a polished dark wood. On the wall there stood a variety of pictures; from paintings to certificates. Diego pulled out Mia's chair and she quickly sat down. He moved a few files so she could have a space to work before taking his seat next to her. He leaned backwards and rested his hands behind his head and faced Mia, who was fidgeting with her hands.

"So, it looks like you're stuck with me, huh?" He yawned and swung his feet up on the desk.

Mia had no idea of what to say at that moment. She really didn't want to aggravate her new boss who she would deal with every day for at least two months. "I really don't mind though."

"Is that so, kitten?"

"Kitten?" Mia raised an eyebrow.

"It's a nickname I give to pretty girls." He flashed her one of his famous smirks.

"I…" Once again, Mia had no idea of what to say. She really wanted to say that she didn't want to be called kitten, but again, the threat of being with this man for two months prevented her from speaking her mind.

"Well, speak up."

Mia flushed red. It was obvious that this man could see through her lies.

"It is important for an attorney to be able to express his thoughts. So, speak up, kitten." Diego swung his legs off of the desk and turned to face the bewildered girl. He looked her strait in the eye. "Say it already."

"Why do you automatically assume that the attorney is a male?" The words automatically flew out of Mia's mouth and she raised her hands over her mouth and let out a gasp as soon as she realized what she said.

Diego let out a loud laugh and clapped his hands. "Well, well, it looks like the kitten has claws."

Mia shifted her weight in her chair and bit her lip.

A long silence loomed over the two of them and finally Diego hopped up from his chair and waltzed over to the other side of the room. He flicked off the switch to his coffee pot and poured himself a cup. "Want some?" He lifted the large pot of coffee.

Mia shook her head. "I'm not much of a coffee drinker."

Diego let out another laugh. "More for me then."

"You're going to drink that whole pot?" Mia exclaimed.

"Yeah, what of it?" Diego asked.

"Well, that's a lot of coffee. I mean, that's enough for eight cups."

"It should last me an hour."

"An hour!?" Mia exclaimed. Her face turned bright red from embarrassment yet again from this sudden outburst. She scratched her head and looked down at her white shoes.

"What's the matter kitten? We're going to be working together for at least two months. So, say what you want to say or it's going to be a long two months for you." Diego took a swig of his coffee. "Besides, the prosecution will eat you alive if you act like that in court."

The thought of loosing in court instantly woke her up. Mia looked up at Diego and her posture instantly straitened. "Now that's the spirit." He got up from his chair and poured himself another cup.

"It looks like you will drain through the pot in an hour."

"Yeah…" His voice trailed off and he scratched the back of his head. "I drink a lot of coffee. A lot."

"I can see that; how much is 'a lot'?" She raised a slender eyebrow.

He let out a small chuckle. "I like to drink seventeen cups of coffee during a trial. Outside of court…" His voice trailed off. "Well, I lost count."

"That's a lot of coffee."

Diego walked over to the other side of the room and dug through his papers. "I have a surprise for you, kitten." He continued to dig through his papers. "If I can find it…"

Mia wondered what this 'surprise' was. Somehow, she really didn't want to know. She just sat there with her hands folded on her lap, watching Diego dig through the mountain of folders on the table at the far side of his office.

"Ah!" He dragged out a manila envelope from the mountain of papers. "Here we go…" He said as he walked over towards the desk and dropped the paper right in front of Mia.

The female attorney picked up the envelope and began to open it.

"It's a collection of facts and information about a case that we're going to be working on; the autopsy report of the victim, profiles of people involved, and a few photographs of the crime scene."

The color drained from Mia's face as she looked at the pictures of the dead, bloody, body. It appeared that he was stabbed to death because there was a knife sticking out of his stomach. She felt her stomach churn as she looked at the collection of pictures. They all showed the same thing; a man, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, lying in a pool of blood. She quickly stuffed them back inside of the envelope.

"If you're going to work in criminal law, you have to toughen up, kitten." Diego said as he rose from the desk and headed towards the door. Mia cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "Are you ready?"

"For what?" Mia asked.

"To check out the crime scene, of course." He held the door open for Mia. "In order to discover the truth, we need to collect all the evidence. So, are you coming or not?"

The young brunette wordlessly rose from the table. She hoped that her legs would be able to hold her up after looking at that gruesome scene. Thankfully, they did and she swiftly moved out the door, clutching the manila envelope against her breast. When she entered the foyer, she grabbed her coat and quickly buttoned it. She watched Diego do the same with his black, wool coat.

"Whose car are we taking; mine or yours?" He asked, dangling the keys in front of him.

"Oh, I walk to work." Mia answered.

"Well, that answers that question." Diego clicked the button to his remote keychain and pointed to the shiny red Mercedes parked in front. He dashed over to the passenger's door and opened it for Mia. After she was inside, he closed the door for her and walked over to the driver's seat and hopped in himself.

Diego turned on the car and whipped outside of the small parking lot. Mia clutched onto her envelope tighter and was very grateful to be wearing a seatbelt for Diego was a terrible driver. She flinched as she watched the speed creep up higher and higher. "Um, Mr. Armando…?"

"Yeah?" He took one hand off the steering wheel to take a sip of his coffee.

"Could you pay more attention to the road?" Mia asked.

"What? You don't trust me?" He let out a chuckle. He took Mia's silence as a 'no', so let lowered his speed by a few miles per hour, but not before letting out another cackle. "See, all you have to do is speak up; if you have something on your mind, just say it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Mia said. Next thing she knew, Diego whirled into an apartment complex and the car came to a screeching halt.

"We're here." He turned off the car, hopped out, and rushed over to open up Mia's door. She slowly crawled out of the car and felt at ease as soon as her feet hit the solid ground. She looked over at the run down brick apartment complex.

"Is this the scene of the crime?" Mia asked.

"Yes it is." Diego answered. He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her inside the apartment. The inside was quite dingy and Mia honestly didn't want to touch anything here. He led her inside of a rickety elevator and pressed the button to go to the fifth floor. The elevator cage closed and it slowly ascended. The young attorney closed her eyes and hoped that this elevator was steady enough to get them both to the fifth floor without breaking. The sudden jerks that it gave weren't' very re-assuring. Of course, Diego noticed this. "What's the matter; afraid of elevators?" He asked.

"No, just old rickety ones that are about to fall."

"You're too nervous, kitten."

"_No, I'm just cautious." _Mia thought to herself.

The two of them finally left the elevator, much to Mia's liking. It then donned on her; it's was going to be a long two months. It wasn't even noon and she had already been through more stress in one day then she had been in her entire life.

The two of them stood in front of a large, wooden door. "Is this it?" Mia asked. Diego nodded his head and then she reached for the handle. He quickly grabbed her wrist though.

"Wait," He instructed.

"Why?" Mia cocked her head to the side and looked at the older, spiky-haired man.

"I should have probably warned you…"

"About what?"

He let out a troubled sigh. "Seeing a picture of a crime scene is one thing, being there is entirely different. Even though there is no dead body, it is still very unnerving."

"I'm ready." Mia curtly nodded her head.

"If you say so, kitten." Diego let go of her wrist and she slowly opened the door. The stench of dried blood mixed with chemicals was overpowering. Mia staggered backwards into Diego as soon as she got a whiff of the smell. "Easy there." He put his hand on the small of her back to steady her.

She took a deep breath and walked inside of the apartment. Police where running around franticly searching for evidence. A younger man, around Diego's age but far less handsome, approached the two of them. He was dressed in a large tan trench coat and had strait black hair that matched the wisps of hair on his unshaved chin.

"What do you have for us, Gumshoe?" Diego asked.

"We didn't find anything special, pal; just his bank records." He handed a folder over to Diego. "Oh, and who's the girl?"

"That's Mia Fey."

"Oh, well, nice to meet you Mia!" The detective said in an enthusiastic voice.

"Nice to meet you too, detective." Mia smiled at him.

"So Gumshoe," Diego began to say. Gumshoe turned his attention away from Mia. "Do you mind if we take a look around?"

"No problem, pal." He scratched the back of his head. "See you guys later." Gumshoe vanished inside of the kitchen.

Mia slowly walked out to the center of the room, but kept her distance from the bloodstain near the rocking chair. On top of the bloodstain, there was an outline of where they found the body. She made a point to stand near the outline, but not too close because she didn't want to disrupt the crime scene. She made a point to note the footprints of high heals that belonged to the killer that were marked leading up to the body and around the apartment. She also noticed that the footprints were the same size as her footprints, but she would never wear a heal that was that high and pointy.

Mia pulled out her manila envelope and opened up the autopsy report. _"Doctor Earl Grey…" _Mia thought to herself. She looked at the picture of the Doctor back when he was alive; he had bright blue eyes, a cleft chin, and wavy blonde hair. He looked like a young, successful doctor. But, then she saw the picture of his dead body; bloody and mangled. His blonde hair was covered in a layer of dried blood and he wasn't dressed in his scrubs and lab coat, but instead in jeans and a t-shirt that were also covered in the red liquid substance. She also wondered what a successful doctor was doing living in this apartment. Her eyes narrowed and she placed her hand under her chin; a habit that she had when she was thinking.

"What are you thinking about, kitten?"

"I was just wondering what a successful doctor was doing living in a place like this…" Her voice trailed off. "Also, who would do this to him? What kind of person would stap someone twenty times until they bleed to death?"

"There are a lot of sick people out there, kitten." Diego's voice became softer. When he saw Mia's pensive face, he felt a little bit sorry for her; she was just a young girl, fresh out of law school and she was already exposed to all of the horrors of murder. "This is probably a bit too much for you; perhaps we should go back to the firm…"

"No," Her voice sounded a bit firmer. "We should go to the detention center and speak with our client."

"I admire your resolution; kitten." Diego smirked at her. "Oh, and I have more evidence." He pulled out a plastic bag with a bloody knife inside of it. "Bad news; this has our clients finger prints all over it."

Mia pulled out her envelope and flipped through it. "Out client is Jasmine Green right?"

"That's right; are you all set here?"

"Yes, I think I have enough information. What about you?" Mia looked up at Diego, still being too intimidated to look him directly in the eye.

"I'm ready if you're ready." With that, he waltzed over towards the door and held it open for her. Mia let out a sigh as she walked into the rickety elevator. She held her breath as it slowly descended downward; not exhaling until it came to a complete stop at the bottom floor.

She was walking over to the car door when Diego grabbed her hand. "The detention center is only down the block."

"Oh…" Her smile widened; she was very happy not to be stuck in the car with her boss who happened to be one of the worst drivers she had ever scene.

"Unless if you would prefer to drive, kitten."

"Oh no, I'd rather walk." She shook her head furiously.

"I thought so; we need to make a quick stop first." He began to walk down the street. Mia walked quickly to keep up with his long strides but she had to practically jog to keep up with his quick pace.

"Where are we going?" Mia asked.

"The coffee shop; I can think better when I've had my coffee."

"_Didn't you just have a pot of coffee?" _She thought to herself but thought it better to remain silent. The two of them walked inside a dimly lit café with burgundy tables, a brown tiled floor, and a large granite counter with bar stools for people to sit.

"Ah, Diego!" The man behind the granite counter shouted. "What's going on?"

"Ah, nothing much." He then pointed to Mia. "This is my new co-worker, Mia."

"Hey, nice to meet you!" The man enthusiastically said. "What will you two have today."

"Ah, just the usual." Diego ran his fingers through his spiky black hair. "And you, kitten?"

"I'm really not that thirty…" Her voice trailed off.

"Ok then, a cup of hot chocolate for the lady in case she changes her mind."

"But…!" Mia began to protest but Diego cut her off before she could finish.

"It's on me." He unbuttoned his black coat and draped it over his arm. Mia fumbled with the buttons of her trench coat and did the same. Diego then grabbed her coat and draped it over his arm as well and brought them both over to the coat hanger. In her half day of being here, Mia learned not to question these strange habits that her boss had. So when he walked over to one of the burgundy tables and pulled out a chair for her, she just quietly sat down and watched him sit down across from her. The table was very small, so she could feel the soft cotton of Diego's pant leg against her bare, crossed legs. She blushed at this small bit of contact. Finally, the man from earlier came out carrying a two cups of coffee and a cup of hot chocolate.

"A hot chocolate for the lady and the usual for you; black coffee, house blend." The man announced. Diego just pulled out a ten dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to the man. He retreated behind the counter while Mia was still fumbling with the purse.

Diego took note of this and let out a sigh. "Relax; I said it's on me. After all, a man should be the one to pay."

Mia crossed her arms and glared at the man sitting across the table and let and huffed. "That isn't true; women are just as capable of paying as men are."

"Whatever you say, kitten."

This sarcasm just aggravated Mia to no end. "I'm serious; you shouldn't look down on women like that!"

"Then stand up for yourself." Annoyance and aggravation seeped through his voice.

"That's what I'm doing right now!" Mia's voice raised and she rose from the table, kicking her chair back in the process.

"That's what I'm talking about." Diego smirked. He returned to being his calm and arrogant self. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at Mia, who was leaning over the table, still fuming.

"I'm going to go pay for my drink now." She began to rip open her purse and grabbed three dollars from her purse and slapped it down on the table.

"Hold up." He rose from the table and guzzled his entire coffee in one swoop. "How about this; you can keep your three dollars because I brought you here and ordered the drink for you while you really weren't thirsty."

Mia was silent for a moment. She was tempted to refuse to take back her money out of spite, but he _did _prove a point. "So you bought it because you ordered the drink for me and brought me here, not because I'm a woman?"

"Exactly." He pushed the money over towards Mia, who slowly put it back inside of her purse.

"I'm proud of you." His posture became a bit more relaxed and he looked over at the still angry young attorney across from him.

"Huh?" Mia cocked her head to the side and became more relaxed herself. "Why?"

"Finally, you decided to stand up for yourself." He paused dramatically in the middle of his sentence. "Not only did you stand up for yourself, but you argued your point, made a convincing argument, and made an intelligent decision in the end that benefited yourself."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call three dollars benefiting…" Her voice trailed off and she scratched the back of her head. Her voice was significantly calmer and she had a slight blush on her face.

"You actually behaved like a real attorney." Diego continued and he nodded his head curtly.

"I wouldn't exactly call flipping out over three dollars professional…"

"Still, I thought that you were marvelous, kitten."

"Thank you?"

He walked over towards the coat hanger and tossed Mia her coat, which she caught and put on. She buttoned up the jacket and grabbed her half-drunk cup of hot chocolate. Diego put on his coat as well and took his other cup of coffee to have on his way to the detention center.

Once again, Diego swiftly walked down the street and Mia had to jog to keep up with him. When they arrived at the Detention Center, Mia held the door open for Diego this time. He couldn't help but to smirk that this gesture.

"We're here to see our client, Jasmine Green." Diego informed the guard.

"Right this way," The guard said. The two of them followed him to a room. He took out his key, opened the door and let the two attorneys inside. He stood there, in front of the door, staring strait ahead, not budging an inch. The two of them took their seats at one end of the table and looked at the frail girl across from them. She was much smaller then Mia and looked very pale. Her hair was dark brown and made her look even more washed out. She was dressed in a large, tan sweater that came down to her knees and had on white stockings to match. She had her hands folded neatly on her lap and didn't look at either Diego or Mia in the eye.

The two attorneys exchanged glances and Diego motioned for Mia to speak. "So Jasmine, tell us about yourself." Mia finally asked.

"I'm eighteen years old and I'm in my freshman year of college." She spat out.

"And what are you studying to be?" Mia asked.

"I want to be a doctor." She looked down at her hands.

"Why is that?" Mia placed her hand under her chin and leaned forward on the table.

"So I can help people."

Mia let out a sigh. She was tired of getting these one-sentence answers. "How does being a doctor help people? What is your experience with doctors that makes you want to be one?"

"My mother was really sick and a doctor murdered her. I wish to become a doctor to help people and save them instead of killing them..."

"Do you know this doctor?" Mia gently asked. She pulled out the picture of Doctor Earl Grey and pushed it over towards Jasmine. Her facial expression changed when she saw that picture. Her calm eyes narrowed and she pushed the picture away from her.

"He was the man who murdered her."

"Who?"

"My mother."

"What happened?"

"He poisoned her; said that he was releasing her from her mortal prison." Mia stared at her and motioned for her to continue speaking. "I think he killed other people as well."

"Did you do it?"

"What?"

Mia could hardly say it herself. "Kill him?" Her voice shook as she said it. Even Diego was solemn when she uttered these words.

"No."

"Were you in his house that night?"

"No."

"Then how come your finger prints are on the murder weapon?"

"I don't know!" The woman shook her head violently and tears streamed down her cheek. "I was in my house all night studying!"

"Did anyone see you?" Diego asked.

"No, I live alone in my mother's old house."

"You are telling the truth, right?"

Jasmine nodded her head.

"We're your lawyers; you can trust us." Mia urged.

"That's all I have to say." She returned to looking downward at her hands.

The two attorneys rose up from the bench and walked over to the guard.

"Good day, sir." He opened the door and let them through.

Mia and Diego were completely silent as they walked outside of the detention center and back over to the victim's apartment where the car was parked. The walk seemed to be a bit longer as usual without the friendly banter. Finally, the two of them hopped inside of the car. Diego whirled out of the parking lot and, Mia was completely silent. She didn't even complain about his bad driving.

Finally, she spoke up. "…Do you think she did it?"

"You have to have faith in your clients." She raised an eyebrow at him. "So the answer is no; she didn't do it. If you want to be a defense attorney, you must have faith in your clients."

"…Ok." Mia took in a deep breath. "Where are we off to next?"

"The Hotti Clinic." He turned a corner and speed up the street.

"Why?"

"You heard our client; if he was poisoning people, someone in his hospital is bound to know about it." Diego answered. He then parked the car in the hospital and leapt out.

The hospital seemed like a normal hospital; nurses and doctors were running around and patients were in their rooms. An older man approached them. He was dressed in a lab coat, but he certainly wasn't a doctor; his crazy eyes and missing teeth gave that away.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Hotti." He smiled and scratched his head.

"Hello, Doctor. Do you know anything about this man?" Diego asked. He gave him the picture of Earl Grey. Mia gave him a harsh glare.

"What are you doing?" She whispered through gritted teeth.

"Just play along," He whispered back.

"Ah, the doctor who was poisoning his patients? Yup, I know all about him!" He paused for a moment. "He quit a year ago; Nurse Medley caught him in the act of killing a patient and cut a deal with him to quit. The deal was that she wouldn't tell anyone about what he was doing if he quit and gave her a large sum of money each month."

"Who's nurse Medley?" Mia asked.

"Oh, she's a real pretty girl, kind of like how you are." Mia felt a little sick when she heard him say that. His words combined with his creepy gestures made her stomach churn.

"Who's a pretty girl?" The three of them looked over to see a girl around Mia's height and build. She looked a lot like Mia, except dressed in scrubs and her face was arranged differently. She had thinner ruby red lips and her eyes looked a bit harsher. Her hair was Mia's color, except it was curled and ended at her shoulders.

"You must be Nurse Medley." Diego commented.

"Yes, I'm Mint Medley and I'm going to have to ask you two to refrain from speaking with the patients." She glared at the two attorneys.

"Well, we were just on our way." Diego paused. "It was a pleasure, Nurse Medley."

Diego and Mia rushed outside of the hospital. As soon as they got to the safe confines of their car, Mia spoke up. "Somehow I think she did it."

"I'm inclined to agree with you." He admitted. "I think we should go call it a day…"

Mia nodded her head.

"Where do you live?" Diego asked.

"Oh, just around the corner." Mia yawned and pointed to a large brick apartment building way off in the distance.

Diego whirled over and parked the car next to the building. The two of them jerked forward when the car stopped. Mia unclicked her seatbelt and hopped out of the car.

"Get a good night's sleep tonight; we're going to court tomorrow morning."

Mia nodded her head. "See you tomorrow."

Diego stayed parked outside of the building and waited until he saw Mia vanish behind the large door. Only after he was sure that she was inside safe and sound did he speed off down the street.

A/N: Hey, this is my first Phoenix Wright fanfic. After I played Trials and Tribulations, I couldn't resist writing a Mia Fey x Diego Armando fanfic. I really hope that you enjoy this; it should be around four parts long. Well, thanks for reading and I hope that you like it. Part 2 should be up next week.


	2. Trial

Mia Fey stood in the Defense Lobby inside of the courtroom, clad in her favorite black, suit. She sat patiently on the plush sofa, looking around at her surroundings. The room was beautiful; it had tiled floors, wooden fixtures, and just reflected a powerful-yet-peaceful aura. She felt so at home sitting here in the courtroom. Whatever insecurities she felt yesterday seemed to vanish before her eyes.

She looked at her watch; it read 9:30. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation; it was only a half an hour until the case began.

"Exited, kitten?" She felt the weight shift on the plush couch and she turned around and saw Diego, sitting to her left. He looked as gorgeous as he normally did; his expressive eyes gleamed with a hint of playfulness as he addressed her. She felt a bit more at ease around him today, so she found it easier to sit next to him.

"Yeah, it is quite exiting; good luck today." She ran her fingers through her brown hair and shifted her posture to face him head on.

He let out a laugh. "Luck," he laughed again "I don't need luck."

Mia cocked her head to the side.

"You know you're really in trouble if you're relying on luck to win a case; that's my rule."

"But aren't Jasmine's finger prints on the murder weapon?" Mia asked. "Isn't that decisive enough evidence to put her in jail?"

"Don't worry, kitten, I've been in much worse situations before." He patted her arm affectionately. "Now, speaking of, we should probably meet with our client."

Diego leapt out of his chair first and extended his hand. Mia took it and he helped pull her off the couch. The two of them wandered over to Jasmine who was looking as jittery and pale as usual. She just stared at the approaching two attorneys without saying a word.

"Hey," Diego said to Jasmine. As soon as he spoke to her, her eyes immediately averted to the ground.

"It's going to be ok…" Mia gently patted her back.

The frail woman remained silent.

"You have to have a little bit of faith in us; we're your attorneys." After Mia said that, the young woman slightly nodded her head.

"Did you do it?" Diego asked her.

"No," She whispered back in a voice that Mia and Diego had to lean forward to hear.

"Then the truth will come out." Diego finished.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She said a little bit louder.

"Now let's go then; it's almost ten." Diego announced. After he said that, he just spun around on his heals and entered through the large, wooden doors. Mia looked behind her and gave Jasmine a curt nod before rushing behind Diego.

It took Mia's breath away to see the court room. She had scene it many times before back in law school, but never as a lawyer. Even though it wasn't her case, she felt like it was. The place felt almost surreal to her; the aroma of wood and books—the smell of knowledge, education, and justice—was intoxicating to her. She slowly made her way over to the defense table beside Diego. Her hand slowly brushed the cold wood of the defense table and it sent shivers down her spine. She looked over towards the judge, sitting on his bench with his glowing white beard and his black robes; just like in the movies.

"I know; it's a lot to take in." Diego said to her, as if he were reading her mind. "Some days, even I get the chills being here." He took a sip of his coffee.

"It just seems so…surreal." She breathed.

"I know," She turned around to look at him and his eyes dramatically softened. "There have been many things that have happened in this courthouse; I have made many memories of both joy and sorrow here and this place still takes my breath away."

"Mr. Armando…" Mia's voice trailed off. Something about the sincerity of his voice and the softness of his eyes made her trust him and believe in what he was saying. In that one sentence, she learnt more about the true Diego Armando, not the cocky façade that of an invincible lawyer that she thought that she knew.

"The trial should be starting shortly." Diego's posture straightened and he stared off at the judge's bench. His true self then vanished and his façade reappeared. Mia took this as a cue that this conversation was over. She stiffened up at herself and stared at the judge's bench and the two of them remained silent until the prosecution arrived.

After five or so minutes, prosecution finally entered the room and rushed over to the bench. The prosecutor was a balding man with a bundle of hair at the top of his head. He was dressed in a cheap, green suit with a red tie that clashed with it.

"This should be easy." Diego whispered to Mia in a voice so low only she could hear.

"Why?" She whispered back to him in a voice that was just as quiet.

"That's Winston Payne; he may be good at beating rookies, but he doesn't stand a chance against an experienced attorney."

"Is the defense ready?" The judge asked Diego, which cued the start of the trial.

"Yes, Your Honor." He replied in a firm, confident voice; even more so then his normal speaking voice. When he spoke like that, Mia had faith that they would win this case.

"And the prosecution?" He turned to Payne.

"Of course." He replied in a high, frantic voice as he played with the small bundle of hair on top of his head that looked like a cheap imitation of Elvis's hair.

"Your opening statement please?" The bald bearded man asked the prosecutor.

Payne cleared his throat. "The prosecution believes that the defendant, Miss Jasmine Green, murdered Doctor Earl Grey because her finger prints where found on the murder weapon and she has no alibi on the night of the murder. Ergo, it is logical to conclude that she was the one who killed him. Also, Mr. Oolong, a resident in the apartment, saw Miss Green leave the apartment a few minutes after the time of the murder. The prosecution wishes to summon the witness, Mr. Oolong, to the stand."

An older balding man in his sixties walked up to the stand. He was dressed in a cheap, dark blue suit, but it was obvious that he wasn't used to wearing suits because of the way he fidgeted with his tie. His entire head was covered in grey and he had a crooked, deceitful smile and wide, bloodshot eyes.

"Could you please state your name and occupation?" Payne asked the man.

"I'm Joe Oolong and I'm a forensic analysist for the police." He answered as he fidgeted with his tie.

"Could you please tell us what happened on the night of the murder?"

"Certainly," He replied in a nasal voice. "It was around seven o'clock at night when I heard a scream coming from Earl's apartment. So, I went into the hallway to check it out. I saw a woman with bloody cloths walk out of the apartment and flee towards the elevator. So, I went back inside and called the police and they arrived a few minutes later."

Mia tugged on Diego's red sleeve. "There aren't any contradictions…" She whispered to Diego.

"Relax; I'll just press the whiteness until he slips up." He whispered back to her.

"You're cross examination, Mr. Armando." The judge said.

Diego grabbed a cup of coffee and downed it in one drink. "You said that you heard a scream coming from the apartment? What did it sound like?"

"It sounded like a guy screaming, which is understandable, because he _was_ getting stabbed."

Diego rubbed his chin and took a long pause. "How long did it take you to move over towards the hallway?"

"I wouldn't say more then a minute; I walked towards the door as soon as I heard the scream."

"What did the woman look like?" Diego asked him.

"Uhhh…" he rubbed his chin. "A woman?" Oolong's voice sounded very uncertain.

"Could you describe the woman?" Diego leaned on his elbow as he chugged another cup of coffee.

"She had brown hair and…uh…" His voice trailed off yet again. "Looked like her!" He pointed to Jasmine, who let out a gasp and put her delicate hands over her open mouth.

"You sounded uncertain about that." Diego smirked. "Why is that?"

"Objection!" Payne shouted in his high, panicked voice. "Your Honor, he's badgering the witness."

"Objection overruled."

"I have another question for you," Diego took a sip of his coffee before continuing. "Well, the police didn't arrive until seven thirty and if it only took them two minutes to arrive, what were you doing during that time? You did say earlier that you saw the woman run through the hallway at seven."

Oolong gulped and fidgeted with his tie again. "Something came up where I had to…do something before calling the police."

"Something that took precedence over a recent murder? I highly doubt that!" Diego shouted. "Perhaps you were tampering with the evidence…!"

"Objection! The defense is merely speculating!" Payne said in a rushed voice.

"Sustained; Mr. Armando, please revise that last statement."

Diego took a deep breath. "Well, why didn't you call the police right after the murder happened?"

The witness took a deep breath and quickly responded. "I was talking with Miss Medley!"

"Oh? I believe this calls for a new testimony." Diego took a sip of his coffee.

"The defense is right; the court is asking you to tell us, in detail, about why Miss Medley was there and what you two were discussing." The judge ordered as he slammed his gavel down on the bench causing a loud crack to fill up to courtroom.

"Miss Medley came over to visit earlier to discuss the upcoming baseball game and after she saw the bloodied woman leave, she passed out. So, I moved her to the couch and tended to her before calling the police."

"That's strange; Miss Medley is a nurse so she would deal with blood on a regular basis. I highly doubt she would pass out at the sight of blood like how you just described." Diego rubbed his black goatee.

"But…she did!" Oolong protested.

"Another thing I would like to add," Diego paused for a moment. "It seems very unlikely that a nurse and a forensic analysist would interact with each other in a regular basis."

Oolong gulped and continued to fiddle with his tie. Beads of sweat formed on his high forhead.

"The defense wishes to call Mint Medley to the stand!" Diego shouted as he slammed his coffee cup in the bench.

"No objections from the prosecution." Payne fiddled with his patch of hair at the top of his hair.

"Let's take a fifteen minute recess first." The judge offered. Mia and Diego then filtered out into the defense lobby.

Diego walked over to the couch that they were sitting on before the trial and quickly sat down. Mia then followed suit.

"So what did you think of that?" Diego leaned back on the couch and took another gulp of his coffee.

Mia placed her hands on her chest and breathed. "That was amazing! I've never scene such a performance in my life!" She continued. "I thought that we were done for when her finger prints were found on the murder weapon…"

He let out a chuckle. "Don't worry; someday you'll get that good. All it takes is a little bit of experience."

"What do you have planned for later?" Mia asked Diego, her eyes were wide with admiration and anticipation.

He laughed once again. "Can't I surprise you, kitten?"

The two of them didn't even notice the presence that was hovering over them. Finally, when Mia looked away from Diego, she noticed their client was standing next to them.

"Oh, hey Jasmine." Mia smiled at her as she slid over right next to Diego. She patted the seat of the couch. "Here; sit down."

She slowly sat down next to Mia and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair.

"Thank you, Mr. Armando, and you too Mia." She quietly said.

"That's why I became an attorney in the first place; to defend the defenseless." Diego cheerfully said. Those words seemed to ring in Mia's ears. _To defend the defenseless_; that's the same reason why she became a lawyer as well.

She felt a rush of admiration flow through her and only then did she realize how close they were sitting together. She instinctively pushed herself away from him so their arms were no longer brushing up against each other.

"It's not over yet, Jasmine. But don't worry; we'll win this for you so you can go back to school and become a doctor." Mia smiled at Jasmine, who seemed a bit more cheerful.

Diego linked his arms with Mia and the two of them leapt up from the couch. The two of them each grabbed one of Jasmine's hands and pulled her up off of the couch.

"Thank you," She whispered to the two of them.

"Let's go back into the court." Diego placed his hand on Mia's lower back and she felt blood rise to her face. She hoped that no one notice, but she saw Jasmine give her a knowing look.

Diego guided her through the large wooden doors and over to the defense bench. The entire court rose up from their seats as the judge walked over towards his bench. After he seated, the entire court followed suit except for the prosecution and the defense that remained standing.

"Well I hoped you all enjoyed your rest." The judge said before clearing his throat. "The court summons Mint Medley to the stand."

A young woman briskly walked up to the stand. Unlike yesterday, Mint Medley wasn't dressed in her scrubs but instead, she wore a black pencil skirt and a matching shirt with the first few buttons left undone to show off her curvy figure. She glared at the defense, then the prosecution. There was something unnerving about her glare how it was combined with her cold eyes and sneer.

"Your testimony, Miss Medley."

She inhaled deeply and placed her hands on her hips. "I came to visit Mr. Oolong to discuss the upcoming hockey game and the two of us heard a noise. We rushed over to the hallway and I saw a bloody woman." She took her hand off of her hip and brushed away one of her long curls. "Well, I was in such shock I simply passed out. I'm afraid I don't remember a thing afterwards."

"Oh, that must have been frightful for you, Miss Medley." The judge's eyes widened.

"Yes; even though I've scene a lot of blood in my medical carrier, the idea of blood being spilt with the intent to kill just made me pass out." She said. Her voice lacked sincerity.

"You're cross-examination, Mr. Armando." The judge turned to Diego. "Now go easy on her; she's had a rough experience."

"This is bad; the judge is on her side." Mia whispered to Diego. He smirked and drank some more of his coffee.

"That's funny; you said that you went to talk about the hockey game? Mr. Oolong said that it was baseball the two of you were discussing!" He slammed his coffee down on the bench, causing some of it to spill out of the cup.

"Well, I passed a few minutes later, so my memory was foggy." Mint Medley smugly said.

"Well, how come the police didn't see you when they came to the crime scene?" Diego asked.

"Mr. Oolong and I both agreed that I should go home to spare myself from more trauma."

He remained silent. Mia gave him a worried look. The expression that he was wearing was unlike any that she had scene before. He actually looked confused and worried.

"Mr. Armando?" The judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor?" He looked at the judge. Mia could tell that the façade of confidence that he put up was starting to vanish.

"Does the defense have any further questions?"

Diego remained silent. Prosecutor Payne, Miss Medley, and Mr. Oolong all had smug expressions planted on their face. However, Jasmine looked very nervous.

He let out a depressed sigh. "N--"

"Objection!"

All eyes turned on Mia. She blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Y-yes, the defense does have further questions for the witness."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing." Diego whispered in Mia's ear.

"What is your shoe size?"

"Pardon?" Miss Medley raised an eyebrow.

"Objection!" Payne screeched. He was sweating bullets. "I don't see where this is relevant…"

"Well, I'm curious to see where the defense is going with this." The judge commented. "Well, go ahead. Miss Fey, was it?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Mia's palms started to sweat and her mouth started to become very dry. She took a sip of Diego's coffee so she could get some moisture in her mouth. Her face then scrunched up and she remembered why she wasn't a coffee drinker; it was far too bitter for her.

"Size eight; why?"

"That's the same exact size as I wear."

As soon as Mia blurted that out, she saw Diego bury his head in his hands. "What…are you doing?" He muttered to Mia along with a stream of muffled curse words.

"When I was at the crime scene yesterday, I noticed that the footprints are of a size eight shoe. Coincidence? I think not!" Mia explained. She let out a laugh of triumph and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, Miss Green could have had a size eight shoe." Medley pushed her hair behind her.

"I wear a size six though…" Jasmine whined.

"You heard the lady; she wears a size six!" Mia shouted.

"She could have worn a size eight on that particular day." She countered.

"It was a stiletto heal; there would be no way that she could stab someone twenty times in a shoe that would be falling off of her." Mia said; her voice oozed with triumph.

"I don't see how this is relevant; she still killed him. Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon!" Medley retaliated. She gritted her teeth and slammed her hands on the stand.

"Oh, so her fingerprints are on the weapon but her footprints weren't at the scene of the crime? Well, _your _footprints were found at the scene of the crime. Were you tampering with the evidence or did you kill Earl Grey?" Mia slapped her hand against the bench.

"Objection; the defense is out of line!" Payne shouted.

"Sustained. Mr. Armando, get your apprentice in line." The judge glared at the two attorneys.

"Relax; I'll take over from here. Thanks." He whispered to Mia. She nodded her head and quietly stood next to her co-worker. Mia was still shaking from fright so she grasped onto the bench to prevent herself from falling.

Diego cleared his throat. "Kit--, I mean, Miss Fey does bring up a valid point. To add onto what she just said, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to for Mr. Oolong to tamper with the evidence and say that Miss Green's finger prints were found on the murder weapon. After all, he does work in forensics."

"What are you suggesting?" Medley asked; glaring at Diego who seemed completely unaffected.

"I'm suggesting that you killed Doctor Earl Grey and on the way out you ran into Mr. Oolong and convinced him to tamper with the evidence and cover for you!" Diego shouted.

Medley gave Diego the most vicious glare and her hair became all tangled and out of place. She then took a deep breath to steady herself and smoothed out her hair. Her facial expression quickly changed from being nervous to smug in a matter of seconds. "Ok, let's say that you're right about your crazy theory. Now where is your motive?"

"I was hoping that you would ask that." Diego smiled and dragged out Doctor Earl Grey's old bank records. "I noticed that a large sum of money has been taken out of his bank account at a similar time where a large sum of money has been added to yours. Coincidence?" He asked in a mocking tone.

Medley scowled at Diego once again; an even fiercer scowl then she gave before. "Well, if that were the case, wouldn't he be the one to want to kill me?"

"Perhaps that was the case." Diego's voice wandered off. He shook his head to the side then drank some more of his coffee. "Perhaps he asked you to come over to his apartment to kill you but you killed him first."

Instead of retaliating with a scowl, she remained silent and looked at the ground. "You're right; I'd like to testify of what really happened."

"Yes, you may testify." The judge nodded his head.

"A short while ago, patients began to die randomly; one of them was Jasmine Green's mother. So, I decided to investigate. When I walked into a room one day, I found Doctor Earl Grey hovered over a hospital bed, injecting the patient with some sort of liquid. After a minute, the patient died. So, I pulled him aside and asked him to resign. I…also admit to asking for a large sum of money for my silence."

"So you blackmailed him." Diego said in a matter-a-fact tone.

"Yes. Then, one day he called me over to his apartment. So, I went over. When I came, he seemed very angry; violently angry. So, I grabbed the knife and stabbed him."

"Twenty times? Isn't that a bit excessive?" Diego asked.

"I was very angry with him about killing all of those patents. Anyways, I ran outside of the door and I ran into Mr. Oolong. Being panicked, I bribed him with money to keep quiet and say that Miss Green's fingerprints were on the murder weapon. I also fled before the police arrived."

"So you confess to the murder of Earl Grey?" Diego asked her.

"Yes, I do." She breathed out a heavy sigh. "I would have done it again too; he murdered many innocent people."

"Well, that didn't stop you from blackmailing him and squeezing money from him." He then turned his attention over to the judge. "Your Honor, the verdict please?"

"Oh, yes. I would like to declare the defendant, Miss Jasmine Green, not guilty." The judge announced. "The trial of Mint Medley will be held on a later date."

Mia Fey breathed out a huge sigh of relief after the verdict of innocence was handed down on her client. She wandered out to the defense lobby and plopped down on the couch. She brushed her hair backwards and closed her eyes, letting the victory absorb her.

"Stressful case, huh kitten?" She opened up one eye and saw Diego taking his seat next to her.

"I thought that we would loose there for a minute." She opened her eyes and sat up straighter in the couch.

"We almost did until you saved the case." Diego patted her arm. "Thank you; you thought of something when I couldn't and we were able to get our client acquitted because of it."

Mia let out a light laugh. "All I did was panic, to be completely honest with you."

"Well, it paid off in the end." He smiled at her. She looked into his deep eyes and was filled with a foreign emotion that she had never felt before; it was like her heart skipped a beat and her stomach leapt out of her chest.

"Should we head back to the office?" Mia asked, changing the subject.

Diego looked at his watch. "It's almost four-thirty, so I think we can just go home now."

"Ok," She let out a slight yawn. "I could use a nap after that stressful day." She flashed Diego a weak smile.

"Come on, let me drive you home." He helped her off the couch. Just when the two of them were near the door, they heard a voice from behind them.

"Thank you,"

The two of them turned around and saw Jasmine. "Thank you," She repeated.

"Hey, no problem." Mia scratched the back of her head and grinned sheepishly.

"I told you that we would get you acquitted; the truth has an odd way of coming out." Diego said.

"Thanks to you two, now I can go back to school and be a doctor."

"Good luck in school." Mia smiled at her.

"Hey, I told you that you're in trouble if you're relying on luck." Diego countered in a playful tone.

"Oh, we were defiantly relying on luck today." Mia shot back, grinning at him.

"Well, we _were _in trouble today." Diego held open the door for Mia and she stepped through it.

"See you later, Jasmine." She waved at the young girl as she walked out the door. "I still think that we owe it to luck today." Mia turned to Diego.

The two of them descended down the courthouse stairs, chattering and laughing away without a care in the world.

A/N: So, here ends chapter two. The next chapter will be the Terry Fawles case. This chapter was a bit shorter then the last one and it was a bit too dialogue-heavy for me. Ah, you win some, you loose some. Just to let you guys know the characters that I created were all named after various teas. I hope you all enjoyed it!


	3. Turnabout Beginnings

Mr. Grossberg stood quietly in the door frame of Mia and Diego's office; hoping to remain unnoticed but his large frame combined with his bright red suit would not allow that to happen.

Mia and Diego's heads shot up from the paperwork that they were looking at and stared at Grossberg. Even he felt intimidated by Diego's piercing stare.

"Um, we have a new case if you're interested Mr. Armando." He waddled over to the desk and slapped down the profile of Terry Fawles. Diego remained silent as he fingered through Terry Fawles's brief.

He leaned back in his chair and pushed the file away from him.

"I'm not doing it." He announced.

"What?" Mia shouted in disbelief.

"I'm not trying that case." He repeated.

"I didn't think you would…" Grossberg said. He lowered his head a little and scratched his grey hair.

"But, Mr. Armando, that man needs defending!" Mia protested.

"He's a convicted criminal who escaped from jail; I'm not taking that case." He insisted. After that he brought his coffee mug to his lips and took a quick sip.

"I'll take that case!" Mia shouted.

Diego spat out his coffee out of shock.

"What?" Grossberg and Diego simultaneously shouted.

"You've heard me; I've been here for two months now and this man needs defending." Mia shot up from her desk.

"No offence kitten, but there is no way that you'll be able to win this case." Diego sounded a little bit calmer but there was still a hint of tension in his voice. After two months of seeing him every day, Mia was able to detect these things.

"I still have to try..." Mia's voice trailed off.

"I'll leave you two to discuss this; just let me know in a few minutes so I can get a public defender if I have to…" Grossberg said as he vanished behind the doorframe.

Diego reached over and gulped a steaming hot cup of coffee which he swallowed in one gulp. He looked at Mia from over the brim of his cup of coffee and noted her serious expression. She was indeed planning on taking the case. During those two months, he got to know her quite well and he recognized that look of determination; those narrowed eyes, that grim smile, and the way she stared at him. He knew right off the bat that this was a loosing battle.

"Fine," Diego finally announced.

"What?" Mia's voice trialed off.

"You heard me; fine, you can take the case. Now hurry along kitten before I change my mind." Diego let out a sigh as he slammed his coffee cup on his desk.

"Thank you!" Her expression lightened and she clasped her hands together. He felt happy seeing her so happy, but he still couldn't shake the knot in his stomach that made him feel like he was making the wrong decision. The last thing that he wanted was for her to have a bad first case. Over the past two months, he learned to care about her very much and he didn't want to see her spirit crushed.

He watched her leap out of her chair and rush out the office and could hear her high heels quickly click against the wooden floors of the corridor. "Mr. Grossberg, yes, I'm taking the case." He herd her enthusiastic voice shout.

Even through the walls blocked most of the sound; he could still hear Mr. Grossberg sigh. "Ok, I trust that Mr. Armando knows what he's doing…" As soon as he said that, Diego felt his heart dropped. He really did hope that he was making the right decision; if Mia was hurt because of this, he would never forgive himself.

He heard the pitter-patter of her heals leading up to the doorway and he finally saw her curvy frame in the doorway.

"Thanks again." She took a seat next to Diego.

He just let out a sigh. "Just don't make me regret it."

"I won't. Besides, who saved your butt during our last trial?" Mia teased.

He let out a small chuckle. "You did, I'll admit." He remembered the events of the last case how Mia brought up the one, tiny detail of the footprints that ultimately placed Mint Medley at the scene of the crime.

Mia looked at her watch and leapt up from her chair. "What should I do about evidence? The trial is tomorrow and it's five o'clock right now!"

"Just sleep on it."

Mia paused for a moment, contemplating this idea. She finally let out a sigh. "I suppose I'll have to."

"Well, goodnight and get plenty of sleep." Diego said.

Mia waved as she walked out the door and took to the street. There was an extra spring in her step as she made her way to her apartment. She couldn't believe it; in less then one day, her trial would begin.

Little did she know, at the same time during this day, her feelings would completely change.

Mia stood behind the defense bench, trembling. Her palms were sweating and her mouth was dry. She looked over to the audience and stared at the demon hidden in a teenager's body—Dahlia Hawthorne was truly a demon. Even though her eyes were as soft as her flowing red hair and her smile seemed so trusting, that didn't change the fact that she was a demon clad in a white dress.

She wrung her hands and went through her files. _"Just a little bit more and she'll be in jail and my client will be free." _Mia thought to herself. She looked at her client who was standing behind the witness stand. His scarred face was twisted up into an expression of guilt and his innocent eyes reflected sadness. When she looked at this man, she felt the sense of duty envelop her; she must protect him.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Terry Fawles. Even though she wished for his innocence, she wished that he wasn't covering for this demon.

Mia glanced over to the prosecution bench and saw Edgeworth looking as smug as ever. Even though this was his first trial, he was much calmer then she was. Also, there was something handsome about him; not like Diego though—a different sort of handsome. Edgeworth had more classical good looks, with his silver hair, elegant maroon suit, and well-sculpted ivory face that looked like it belonged more on a statue then a man. Then, there was Diego with his expressive, coal black eyes, his wild spiked hair, snazzy suits, and sensual facial features that would make any woman fall for him.

"Mr. Fawles, we _know_ that it was Valerie Hawthorne who arrived first…" Mia continued.

There was something that interrupted all of the chaos in the courtroom; a cough, followed by another cough. "I know, it wasn't Dahlia." Fawles continued. "Dahlia and I made a promise a long time ago; if we ever lost faith in each other we would drink the contents of the pendant…" He couched a little more and blood started to trickle out of his mouth. "My faith in her started to wane…"

Edgeworth slammed his hand down on the table. "Stop the trail! He needs help! Someone call an ambulance!"

Mia watched in terror as the scene unfolded. _"This can't be happening…NO!" _

The entire courtroom erupted into chaos as Fawles slumped over on the witness stand. Mia's eyes widened in shock as she stared at his lifeless body; this couldn't be happening. She felt her legs start to buckle underneath her so she clutched onto the defense bench to keep herself upright. She couldn't peal her eyes off of his dead body; he was still dressed in his jail uniform and there was blood pouring out of his mouth.

Mia gasped and tears started to pool up in her eyes yet still, she couldn't take her eyes of the lifeless man. Only when she watched the smiling Dahlia stand up and leave the courtroom could she take her eyes off of Terry Fawles. There was something else in Mia's eyes besides tears; hatred. Amongst her tears and rage, she vowed to get revenge on her.

"Don't cry, Mia." These words brought her back from her own world. Diego never called her by her first name—ever. She turned around and looked at Diego, tears streaming down her face. "Perhaps you weren't fierce enough…"

"So this is my fault!?" Mia hiccoughed. Her voice quivered and she was still crying. Diego wasn't even looking at her when he said this.

"The only time a lawyer can cry…" His hands shook with rage and he gripped the coffee cup with all of his strength. Finally, the cup shattered under his grip. "…Is when it's all over." He turned to look Mia directly in the eye. His hand was still resting on the defense bench with blood pouring his arm and beginning to soak into his read shirt.

_"Too much blood…" _Mia thought to herself. There was too much bloodshed on that day. She wiped away her tears and tried to remain as composed as possible when she left the courthouse with Diego by her side. Her eyes were still red and bloodshot from tears. The two of them quietly descended down the courthouse stairs, not uttering a word until Diego piped up.

"Do you want me to drive you hom--" Diego started to ask.

"No!" Mia screamed. With that, Mia began to run towards her house leaving a bewildered Diego in her wake. The cold wind was hitting against her body, but she didn't even feel it. Her only thought was that she must run to the safety of her home; Diego couldn't see her cry.

He paused for a moment, wondering if he should run after her but then decided against it; she needed her privacy. He would go there in an hour when she was a bit calmer. Seeing Mia run off like that with tears in her eyes made Diego feel a pain unlike any other he had felt before. He felt pain for Mia. Even though she felt torn with guilt with being partially responsible for Fawles's death, he felt torn with guilt of having Fawles's blood on her hands—he couldn't save her. Diego slouched over and wandered over to his car and decided to take a drive before visiting Mia. She did forget to take her coat, so he had a valid excuse for visiting her.

On his drive, he decided to pick up some flowers and chocolate for her; that would cheer her up. After all, Valentines Day was two days ago so there were chocolate and flowers everywhere. He continued to drive around mindlessly until he felt that he could face her once again.

Mia was having a similar dilemma. When she entered her house, the first thing that she did was crawl over to her desk and write an angry diary entry, cursing everyone involved, even herself and Diego. She wondered how she would be able to set foot in court again. _"Perhaps it would be best if I returned to being a spirit medium…" _She thought to herself. She picked up a pen and paper and wrote a kind letter to Mr. Grossberg saying that it would be best if she quit. She stuffed it in an envelope and quickly wrote down his mailing address. She was still crying as she crawled into bed, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. Even though it as only four in the afternoon, she just wanted this day to end. Not being able to sleep, she just curled up into a ball and cried.

She heard a knock at the door. Angrily, she swung her legs off of the bed and leapt up, quickly wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. She swung the door open and saw Diego, standing there armed with chocolate, flowers, and her coat that she left and the courthouse. She angrily slammed the door in his face; he was the last person that she wanted to see. Much to her dismay, he jammed his foot in the door before she slammed it and walked into her small apartment.

"Mia, I you forgot your coat so I figured that I…" His voice trailed off. It was clear that she was angry and he had no idea how to face her.

She turned her back to him; he couldn't see her cry. "Just leave it on the table." Her voice sounded strangely detached.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Diego asked. Even he was unsure if she would stay being an attorney. In their two months together, she told him of her peculiar past as a spirit medium. He wondered if she would return to that profession. He couldn't let her leave on such a negative note; it would be bad for her and would leave her with many scars that would take years to heal.

Mia paused for a moment and silence enveloped the two of them. "No," She looked down at the ground, and then pointed over to her desk behind her. "There is a letter of resignation on my desk for Mr. Grossberg. I was going to mail it tomorrow, but since you're here you can just deliver it by hand." Her voice still shook from crying.

She heard the sound of boots move over to her desk; she still couldn't turn around to face Diego though. Then, she heard the sound of paper ripping. "No, I'm not going to let you do this to yourself, Mia."

She let out a sigh, but still remained silent.

"Can you at least face me!?" Diego asked. His voice started to rise; he was growing more impatient by the moment.

"What? So you can see me cry!? Oh, I thought that I wasn't allowed to do that." She said. Her voice was as cold as ice. He expected her to sound a bit angrier, but this strange detachment sent knives through his heart.

"Mia, that's not what I meant and you know it!" Diego shouted.

"First you say that it was my fault that Terry Fawles died; now you won't let me cry? What kind of a sick bastard are you?" Her hands were clenched and tears began to flow all over again yet still she wouldn't face him.

"Mia…it isn't your fault. It would have happened to anyone who tried that case." Diego's voice softened.

"That wasn't what you were saying earlier!" Mia shouted.

"What? I never said that!" Diego raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

"You were right though; it's my fault, I failed to defend him." Mia's voice dropped an octave. She walked over to her desk and sat down, still not acknowledging Diego's presence. She pulled out a pen and paper and began to write once again.

"What are you writing?" Diego asked.

"My letter of resignation since you ripped up the last one."

Diego walked up to Mia and ripped the paper from right up under her hand and ripped it up. Instead of yelling, she just pulled out another piece of paper and began to write once again.

Diego was furious; he was determined not to let her go ruin herself. He slammed his fist down on the table and with one swoop, knocked all of the stationary materials off of the table. Papers, pens, diaries, books, and envelopes all came crashing to the ground. He pulled her swivel chair out from the desk and turned it to face him. This time Mia was scared, she looked down at her hands that were neatly folded on her lap.

"Will you listen to me!?"

Mia was silent. She kept her head low as tears began to fall onto her lap. Her shoulders were hunched over and she tried to have her bangs cover her eyes so he couldn't see her tears.

"I'm so sorry Mia." Diego knelt down to the chairs height.

"You can make it up to me by cleaning up the stationary materials and kindly leaving."

"You may feel like you failed to protect Fawles, but it was my fault; I failed to protect you and for that, I'm sorry." Diego took a deep breath and sighed. He stood up from the chairs height and moved over to the desk and began to pick up her stationary materials and arrange them neatly in her desk. "If you want me to stay away, then I'll stay away. Maybe then I can protect you."

Mia was still sitting in her chair with her hands neatly folded on her lap and not saying a word.

Finally, Diego finished cleaning up the desk. He walked over to the bed where he laid down his jacket. He slowly put on his jacket and grabbed his car keys.

"So I guess this is good by, huh kitten?" He let out a sigh and opened the door. Just when he was about to walk through, he heard a cry. He turned around and saw Mia sitting in her chair with her knees bent up to her chest weeping violently. This scene just broke his heart. He quickly ripped off his jacket and tossed that on the bed along with his keys and rushed over to Mia. He knelt down and looked at the young woman huddled over, sobbing on her knees with her long brown hair scattered everywhere. He reached out his hand and placed it under her chin and tilted it upward and looked into her tear-stained face. With his other hand, he reached over to wipe away her tears, which made her cry even harder.

Seeing her cry sparked some sort of foreign emotion in him. He felt tears start to form in his eyes, but he held them back; he must be strong for Mia. "I'm so sorry, Mia…" He reached over and pulled her in a tight embrace. Her bent knees were jamming into his muscular chest, but he didn't seem to mind. She gently lowered her head to his shoulder and began to sob; her entire body felt weak. Finally, she managed to wrap her arms around his back and return the hug.

"You don't need to be strong for me, Mia." He finally broke away from the hug and held her beautiful face in his hands. With one sudden movement, she jerked her head away and leapt up from the chair, causing Diego to leap backwards out of surprise. "What was that for?"

"Please, just leave; don't make this any harder for me." Mia instructed. She bowed her head down.

"No, I'm not leaving until I know that you're going to be ok." Diego said.

"Yes, I'll be ok. Life goes on. I'll have a tomorrow and a next day. Terry Fawles doesn't and it's my fault. Don't you see what I'm trying to do, Mr. Armando? I'm stepping down so I won't kill anybody ever again." Her voice sounded more confident and her tears finally ceased; Mia returned to being the icy self that she was a few minutes ago.

"What are you talking about? It's the job for a defense attorney to defend people! What happened today was a fluke accident that could have happened to anyone; you were just unlucky enough to get the case." Diego was back to shouting again.

"I really want to defend people; to help people."

"Then do it! Go back to work tomorrow! Return to Grossberg's and continue to defend people!"

"But…" Mia's voice lowered. "I'm scared…"

Diego walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Mia, whose legs gave out from underneath her. "I'll protect you; as long as I'm around nothing bad like that will ever happen again." He whispered in her ear. "Please, come back; we can collect information and then we'll put Dahlia behind bars once and for all."

Mia was silent.

"Come on; you know you want to. Please, my kitten…please, Mia." He still wouldn't let go of her limp body. "You know in your heart of hearts that what happened today wasn't your fault. You can still defend people."

Mia sighed. "Ok, I'll go back. I'll give it one last chance, but not now… I can't possibly take on a case now…"

"You don't have to. It will be like the old days; we'll work together but I'll try the case." Diego urged.

"I don't think it could ever go back to the way it was before…" Mia's voice trailed off.

"That's ok. I understand that it takes time and I'll be there for you every step of the way." Diego pulled her back a little bit and looked her directly in the eye. Oh how much he wanted to lean over and kiss her, but he wouldn't take advantage of her while she was so vulnerable. Little did he know how much she wanted him to lean over and plant a kiss on her.

He backed away, being unable to resist her for any longer. He walked over to her coat hanger and tossed her a black trench coat. Mia cocked her head to the side and gave him a strange look. "Where are we going?" She asked. She sounded more cheerful then before because of how curious she was.

"I'm taking you out for dinner."

"But I'm not hungry…"

"You haven't eaten all day and I _did_ promise to take care of you." Diego linked arms with her. "And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

Mia was about to argue with him, but she figured that there would be no point to it. So instead, she followed him out of her apartment and into his car. Since she was too anxious this morning and to distraught this afternoon, she didn't realize how cold it was outside. She shivered and wrapped her coat closer to the body. Diego caught this and immediately turned on the heater for their five minute drive.

Eventually, they arrived at a small-yet-elegant restaurant. It was probably the most beautiful restaurant that Mia had ever scene; the walls were lined with beautiful paintings and there were several mahogany tables scattered all around the small room. There was a large dance floor where behind stood a small group of musicians played classical music. Various well-dressed couples swirled across the dance floor.

A waiter, dressed in a tux, approached the two of them. Mia felt a bit too under-dressed compared to some of the ladies dressed in there expensive gowns, but she then spotted another woman in a business suit and felt slightly calmer.

The two of them followed the waiter and sat at a small table for two. He pulled out the chair for Mia and she took her seat and he even put the napkins in their lap and the menus in their hands. "Would you like to purchase a bottle of wine?" He asked as he held out a bottle of red wine.

"Sure." Diego said. "I would like to have coffee with that too." The waiter pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured a glass for both Diego and Mia, but left the bottle on the table. He then turned around and left.

Mia flipped open the menu and looked at the entire selection. She peered over the top of her menu and watched Diego do the same. She blushed as she looked at his serious expression, and then buried her head in the menu when he looked up at her.

She had no idea what to order, so when the waiter asked for what they wanted, she just asked for what Diego was having.

After the waiter left, Diego stood up from his chair and walked over to Mia. "No one puts baby in the corner." He quoted as he outstretched his hand. Mia blushed as he pulled her off of her feet and brought her over to the dance floor. She felt his arms move around her waste and she placed her hands on his shoulders and the two of them moved to the sound of the music. The two of them made eye contact and Diego couldn't hold it any longer. He leaned over and gently placed a kiss on her lips. He half expected her to shrink back, but that wasn't what she did at all. Instead she pulled him closer to her. She felt a jolt of electricity run through her body and felt so safe in his strong arms.

"I'm sorry…" Diego muttered after the long, sweet kiss ended.

"For what?" Mia breathed.

"For taking advantage of you while you were vulnerable." Mia took one of her hands off of his shoulder and placed it against his cheek and the edge of his sideburns.

"Diego, are you kidding? I've been waiting for you to do that for two months." Mia whispered.

"Kitten…" He kissed her once again, this time with more passion pulling her closer to his body.

Eventually, the food was ready and the two of them ate as they talked about everything. Even though Mia was distraught about what happened today, Diego eventually cheered her up. After they finished dinner, he took her home and guided her inside of her apartment; the two of them were laughing and chattering away.

"Oh, and one more thing," Diego picked up the box of chocolates and flowers that he bought earlier for Mia but never bothered to give her. He handed them over to Mia. "I bought you these earlier, but…" His voice trailed off. "Never mind. I know that they're two days late, but happy Valentines day."

"Oh Diego," Mia's face was as red as the heart-shaped box the chocolates came in. "Thank you!"

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Diego asked.

"Of course!" Mia smiled at him. As soon as he left the apartment, he danced out the door and hopped into his car.

Mia blushed and let out a dreamy sigh as soon as he left her apartment. She left a glowing diary entry in her wake and quickly dressed in her nightgown and leapt under the covers of her bed. Earlier, she was planning to go to bed tired and depressed, but now she was happy and exited.

"_Diego…" _

A/N: Ah, this chapter was nearly impossible to right. At first I tried to write all of case 4 out, but it was too long and dragged out. (Besides, we know how it went.) This isn't one of my favorite chapters; I think that I portrayed Mia as too whiney and depressed.


	4. The Beginning of the End

The next few months seemed to fly by for the young, happy couple. Sure, they ran into some difficulties due to the fact that they were both very stubborn, but for the most part, things were going well for them. They seemed to spend all of their time together; hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart. Even though Mia was still upset about _that _case, Diego helped her recover.

It was a normal Friday night for Mia; she went over to her apartment and waited for Diego to arrive. As time passed on, he spent more and more time at her apartment and she spent as much time at his. The two of them were even considering the idea of moving in together.

She quickly slipped into her favorite dark blue satin dress a pair of black matching shoes and rushed over towards the mirror to re-apply her dark red lipstick. Just after she finished, she heard a knock on the door. She smiled inwardly; _"That must be Diego..." _She thought to herself. It didn't take the young woman very long to run over to the door and fling it open.

Her eyes lit up as she saw Diego standing there in front of her, dressed in a black suit. A smirk formed on his full lips as he looked at the blushing Mia who was standing before him. "Good evening, my lady." He teased her as he grabbed her hand and kissed it, causing her to blush even harder. She always figured that after spending so much time with Diego, she would grow immune to his charms.

"I have a treat for you tonight, kitten." Diego said as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the door.

"Where are we going?" Mia asked as the two of them wandered over to his car.

"It's a surprise, so I'm going to have to ask you to put this on." He pulled out a black cloth and wrapped it around Mia's eyes and finally tied it.

"…Do you really have to blindfold me?" Mia gently brushed her hand against the strip of fabric that shielded her eyes.

He let out a chuckle. "Ha…! Yes, it is."

Mia let out a sigh and Diego grabbed her seatbelt and helped her buckle it. Mia heard the sound of the engine starting up and felt the car leap forward. She never liked driving with Diego when she could see, but never mind blindfolded.

"Could you slow down?" Mia asked.

Diego laughed. "Well, even blindfolded my kitten can sense these things." Mia felt the car slow down a bit and she slouched in her chair in relief.

Finally, the car came to a screeching halt and she heard the sound of Diego's door opening, then closing. She groped her seat in search of the seatbelt and eventually she found it, unbuckled it, and fought with the seat belt strap. Eventually, she heard the sound of her own door opening and felt Diego's cool hand grab her arm and help her out of the car. She walked with Diego and wondered where he was taking her. She heard the thrilling sound of Jazz music playing faintly in the background.

"We're here." Diego announced as he reached over and removed the piece of cloth from her eyes.

Mia gasped and brought her slender hand up to her face as she looked at the marvelous setting that stood before her. They were right at the edge of the beach. Everything seemed so much more beautiful in the light of the full moon that stood out against the dark sky. The large waves crashed against the sand and the faint smell of salt lingered in the air. It took a lot of will power to peal her eyes away from the magnificent waves, but when she looked behind her she saw a table for two set, complete with a white table cloth, candles, and a stereo set to the side that played the sweet sound of Jazz music.

"Diego…it's…" Mia was utterly speechless.

"I know," Diego said, as if finishing her thought.

She wandered over towards the table and slowly sat down. Diego rushed over and took the seat across from her.

"I brought dinner, too." He pulled out a large bag and threw it on the table. He quickly unzipped it and took out two plates and various eating utensils. He took out a bottle of red wine and some coffee, of course.

"You went through all that work…for me?" Mia asked as she watched him pour the drinks.

"Of course; I even cooked the dinner."

"You cook!?" Mia asked dumbfounded.

"No, I was kidding about that part; I got takeout from a nice restaurant." He patted her hand affectionately.

"But…why did you go through all of this work?" Mia asked, leaning back on her chair.

"Just to do something different for a change." He smirked and gulped his coffee. He took out a large plate of pasta that was wrapped to preserve it. "Enjoy." He handed one over to Mia, who carefully unwrapped it and moved a serving onto her plate before he helped himself to some of it.

Mia slowly ate her dinner as she examined both Diego and the beautiful blue ocean against the dark sky.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's so…peaceful." Mia let out a sigh. She paused for a moment. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"No problem," He fiddled with his jacket pocket. "I have this for you…" He handed her a small black box.

Mia slowly took the box from his hand and felt the smooth texture of the black velvet before opening the box. Her eyes widened in shock as she opened it.

"Do you like it?" Diego asked.

All Mia could do was gasp. She pulled out a thin gold bracelet from the case and examined it. She saw some lettering on the inside of it that bounced off of the moon and candle light making it possible for her to read the inscription. _Always and Forever, my Kitten. _

"Diego…I…" She was at a loss for words.

"Do you like it?" Diego repeated.

"Y-yes." Mia stammered. "Yes, I love it!" She repeated in a more confident voice.

Diego grabbed her hand and held it in his, which just made Mia's heart melt. "I'm glad." He whispered. "I'm glad…"

Eventually they finished their dinner and began to stroll the beach, walking with their hands intertwined. Mia leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder as they gazed off, looking at the large, crashing waves.

"…Thanks for doing this." Mia finally said.

"I would do anything for you; you know that." He paused. "_Anything_."

Tears started to form in her wide eyes and she picked her head off of his muscular shoulder and pulled him into a tight embrace, her head was resting against his strong chest.

"I'd do anything for you too." Mia said.

She had never felt so safe then when she was wrapped up in his arms. "I love you, Diego." She blurted out. As soon as she realized what she just said, she ripped herself out of the hug and turned away from him.

"Mia…" She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I love you too."

She felt her cheeks start to turn red as she faced Diego. The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but was really a few seconds. When a wave broke apart against the sand and sent droplets of water flying at them, they finally snapped out of the trance that they were in.

Mia let out a light laugh as she looked at the edge of her satin dress that was ruined by the salty water; she truly didn't care at that point.

Diego chuckled. "Let's go home." He announced as he wrapped his arm around her waist and the two of them stumbled back to the car. Just when they were about to get in, Mia spotted a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench near the parking lot, staring up at the dark, wide sky.

She froze as she looked at him. "…Edgeworth?" She asked, stunned to see him.

He turned around to look at her; his eyes reflecting sadness. He was dressed in a wine colored suit which was much less gaudy then the one he wore to his first court appearance, but he still looked like an angel with his beautiful face and hair.

"Is that you, Mia Fey?" He asked, standing up from the bench and walking over towards the couple. "Diego Armando as well?"

The two of them nodded their heads and a strange, bitter smile formed on Edgeworth's lips.

"Strange, seeing you two here." His voice lost its awe and returned to its normal, confident tone that Mia recognized from that terrible day in court.

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked.

"I came here…to think." He looked up at the sky. "…And I see that you two came here for a date."

"Y-yeah." Mia stammered.

Edgeworth looked away from and returned his attention to the sky. "Well, have a good evening then." With the tone that he said this, Mia could tell that he was trying to signal the end of the conversation.

"And you too…" Mia muttered as she and Diego wandered back into his car. The young lady let out a sigh as she sat in the car.

The two of them drove in silence for a moment until Mia decided to start up a conversation. The night went so well and she was determined not to ruin it by brining in a depressed mood.

"It's strange running into Edgeworth in a place like this, huh?" She said, trying to act as normal as possible.

Unfortunately, Diego knew Mia well enough to see through her façade. "It still bothers you doesn't it…?" His voice trialed off.

Even though he was being extremely vague, Mia knew that he was referring to that fateful case a few months which resulted in the death of an innocent man.

"…Yes." She hung her head down.

Diego grasped onto the steering wheel to control his anger; he hated seeing Mia in such distress. After she admitted this, he knew what must be done—he had to confront Dahlia. Strangely enough, he felt much calmer after making this resolution. For some reason, he just _knew _in his heart-of-hearts that he would be facing danger and that everything would change after this confrontation, but he just _had _to face her; he _had _to at least try to lay Mia's demons to rest.

"I understand." He said more to himself then to Mia.

"Thank you for helping me after that case and convincing me to stay in law…" Her voice trailed off.

This caught Diego by surprise. "You're welcome…" He raised an eyebrow. He wanted to turn to look at her, but he had to keep his eyes focused on the road.

"I always wanted to help people; to defend the defenseless." Her voice trailed off.

After she said this, he was even more resolute about his decision; even if something were to happen to him, perhaps it was time for someone else to become a star defense attorney and the defender of the people. His legacy was over; it was time for someone new to step up to the plate. He couldn't resist sneaking a glance at Mia, who was sitting there, staring ahead. He could see the determination in her eyes.

"You will be a good defense attorney; you're going to help a lot of people…" He refocused on the road ahead.

"And you're going to be with me every step of the way…right?" Mia asked.

"Yes, I will…" Diego said. The words seemed forced out of his mouth; somehow, he knew that he would be forced to leave her side shortly. It scared him how eerily calm he was about this proposition. Even though he may not be there in body, his heart would always remain with her. "I will…"

Shortly after this event, Diego called up Dahlia and requested to meet her at the courthouse. Right before the meeting, he kissed Mia goodbye for the last time and walked over to the courthouse. The walk seemed to drag on for him, as if he was walking to his own funeral. Time seemed to stop for him as he saw Dahlia sitting in the cafeteria. He walked up to her and sat down across from her.

Dahlia looked beautiful, as usual. Her face looked so sweet, like she was incapable of doing anything evil and her red hair was perfectly groomed and there wasn't a wrinkle in her dress. He knew that as soon as he applied pressure to her, she would crack like an egg.

"Well, hello, Mr. Armando." She smiled at him. "What brings you here?"

He took a gulp of his coffee. "I came here to force a confession out of you."

"For what, exactly?" She asked, still looking as sweet as ever.

"Look, we both know what you did to Valerie and how you put Fawles up to take the fall." He slammed his fist on the table. His eyes showed nothing malice as he looked at her; he certainly wasn't going to fall for her charms.

She snickered. "Do you have proof?"

He scowled at her. "I may not have it now, but mark my words; I _will _be watching you. As soon as you mess up, I'll be all over you like ugly on an ape."

Dahlia sneered and leaned forward. "I'll kill you before you'll be able to use that information."

"Oh, was that a threat?" He mocked her. "Threatening to kill people is illegal, Dahlia Hawthorne. Perhaps it would be best for everyone if you went to jail."

She let out a laugh. "That will never happen in your lifetime."

"I think it actually may and sooner then you think." He paused for a minute. "You just wait; as soon as you slip up, you're mine."

Diego smirked as he watched her squirm in her chair. He brought his coffee cup up to his lips and drank some for his recent victory.

His whole body seemed to react against him and he collapsed to the floor, trembling and twitching. His vision began to dim and the frantic voices around him seemed to blend together. He stared up at Dahlia and continued to watch her until she faded into darkness like the rest of his surroundings.

_Ring. _

_"Oh, it must be Diego…" _Mia Fey thought to herself as she closed the novel she was reading and began searching for the phone.

_Ring. _

_Ring. _

Finally, she grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Ah, is this Miss Fey?" A man asked.

"Yes, why?" Mia asked. She stood up from her chair and flipped her hair.

"We need you to come down to the hospital; there's been an accident." She froze at the sound of 'accident' and instantly sat back down.

"What happened?" She slowly asked as her hands trembled causing the phone to shake in her tight grasp.

"You better come down."

"…Ok." Mia felt a lump in her throat. _"What could that be about?" _She wondered. She couldn't really think of anyone who could be sick.

On her entire walk down, she couldn't figure out what was wrong. She then wished that she asked the man on the phone for more details. _"What if it's Diego? What if it's Maya?" _She wondered. After Mia thought these terrible thoughts, she shook her head; she must be optimistic.

Mia took a deep breath before she opened the hospital doors. When she entered, she saw an older man standing in front of her who looked a little bit like Mr. Grossberg with his grey hair and heavy build.

"You must be Mia Fey…"

"Yes?" Her voice unwillingly shook.

The man sighed. "Follow me."

Mia wordlessly followed this man; her heart was pounding in her chest as she went through all of the possible scenarios. Finally, the man stopped in front of a closed, wooden door.

"I have to tell you something first…"

Mia was starting to loose her calm. She just wanted to find out what was happening. "Yes?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Your boyfriend, Diego Armando, was involved in an accident."

These words didn't sink through Mia's head. "What? No, I just saw him this morning…" She shook her head. This man must be lying.

"We believe he was poisoned at the courthouse." He continued.

_No… _

_No! _

"No!" Mia shouted. "He can't be…is he ok?"

"He's in a coma right now. We lost him for awhile, but with the newfound technology we were able to revive him."

"W-will he ever come out of the coma?" Mia stammered. This had to be a bad dream. She couldn't, no; she didn't _want _to think of a life without Diego.

"Unfortunately, it's unlikely that he'll ever come out of it…you see--" Mia didn't wait for this man to finish. She whipped open the wooden door and ran into the room. She saw Diego lying on the hospital bed, looking so helpless. His skin no longer radiated his healthy glow and his black hair turned white. She leaned over to edge of the bed and her legs gave out from underneath her. She was so pre-occupied with Diego that she didn't even notice Grossberg pacing at the far side of the room, looking very distressed.

"Diego, no…" Tears began to flow down her face. "Please, wake up…" She grabbed his hand and looked at him.

No response.

"Wake up."

Still, nothing.

"Wake up, Diego! Wake up!" She grasped onto his hand tighter, but still got no response. She buried her head in the white hospital sheets and began to weep as the doctor watched her helplessly from a distance.

"We're going to have to ask you to leave…" the doctor quietly said as he pulled the weeping Mia up off the floor. "I'll call a taxi to drive you home…"

"It's ok; I'll take her home…" Grossberg offered.

"I can't leave him…!" She shouted; her voice was on the edge of hysteria.

"You're not doing anything productive; it would be best if you left." He quietly said as he dragged Mia out of the room.

She was still in denial; Diego couldn't be in a coma—he just couldn't be.

She sat in the passenger's seat of Mr. Grossberg's car, just sitting in a daze, trying to absorb this piece of horrible information. All that she would whisper was "he's gone."

"I know, Mia. We both miss him." Grossberg muttered. It was clear that he was in pain, but he was also trying to stay strong for Mia; it would be what Diego would have wanted. To him, Diego was like a son.

Eventually, the car stopped and Grossberg offered to take Mia back to her apartment, which she politely declined. All Grossberg could do was watch Mia run into her apartment building. His heart went out to the young girl. He watched her life with Diego unfold from the sidelines. He, more then anyone else that Mia was associated, know how much she was suffering.

Mia walked back into her room; there were so many memories stored in there. A deep sadness overwhelmed her but for some reason she couldn't cry.

_"The only time a lawyer can cry…is when it's all over." _Diego's words lingered in the back of her mind. Diego wouldn't want her to cry; he wouldn't want her to be stuck in the past and spend all of her time waiting for him to wake up.

Mia shook her head, _"You have to be strong, Mia." _She thought to herself. With this newfound energy, she walked over to her desk and wrote a brief, final diary entry. For some reason, it no longer gave her any joy to write about her life. She no longer felt the emotional attachment to that small, leather book. After she finished her last sentence, she closed the book shut, never to open it again.

Part III

_"Dear Diary, _

_Today was surely the worst day I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. I was at home, waiting for Diego to arrive when I got _that _dreaded phone call. It was a doctor telling me that there was an accident and telling me to come to the hospital. I had no idea what to think; so many things were rushing through my mind. 'What if something happened to Diego? What if Maya got into an accident?' Nothing could prepare me for the sight that I was about to see. When the doctor told me that Diego was in a coma, I thought that my life was over. Seeing him lying there will all of the life sucked out of him was too painful for me to bear. I can't believe he's gone! I can't believe he'll never wake up again! I love him so much. Not only was he my lover, but also my best friend. It's so hard to believe that I'll never be able to speak with him ever again; it's a fate worse then death._

_Part of me did die today. I no longer feel the great joy I used to feel. I hope that the pain will soon fade and I'll return to my normal, happy self. This is my last diary entry for now; I no longer have the will to spill my guts into a leather book. Instead, I will use this new time to study harder and become a better attorney. I hope that with more experience I'll be able to save more people. No person should have to go to jail or die for a crime that they didn't commit while a murderer roams the streets. No person should know that their innocent friend or family member had to pay the ultimate price for a crime that they didn't commit. If I can impact one life positively, then I know that all of the pain and sorrow that I've felt will be worth it. Even though I miss Diego, I will be strong; I will carry on through life living for not just myself, but for Diego as well. I will be strong; I will help people. I must…I shall not look at this as the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning." _

"…Even though I miss Diego, I will be strong; I will carry through life living for not just myself, but for Diego as well. I will be strong; I will help people. I must…I will not look at this as the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning." Maya Fey finished saying.

"Is that it?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah, it looks like that was her last entry." Maya fanned through the pages of Mia's diary. The two of them stood in silence until Maya let out a troubled sigh.

"What is it, Maya?" He folded his arms and cocked his head to the side.

"What should we do with this?" Maya asked.

"We have to do something?"

"Of course we do! We have to give this to Mr. Armando!" She shouted.

Phoenix leaned back and flinched. "Do you think that Mia would want him to read her diary…?"

"Of course he would!" Maya exclaimed.

He was about to protest, but then realized that Maya didn't listen to logic.

"Ok, we'll go to the detention center."

The two of them walked out the door. Maya seemed largely unaffected by reading her sister's diary. She was still frolicking out the door, holding the diary close to her chest with the gold bracelet on her wrist. They bantered back and fourth on the way to the detention center and speculated about the fascinating life that Mia led. They discussed the cases of Terry Fawles and Jasmine Green, the love between Diego and Mia, and Mia's rookie days.

Maya seemed a bit quieter when they arrived at the detention center though. Phoenix decided that it would be best if he waited outside for Maya and let her have her privacy. He was sure that she had a lot to say to him.

She slowly sat down and stared at Godot. She had no idea what to say to him; he was involved with her sister and saved her life just a few days ago. She wanted to be familiar with him but there was something about his aura that made her feel slightly on edge when she was with him.

Maya leapt back slightly as Diego turned to her. "So what brings you here, Maya Fey?" He asked as he calmly drank his coffee, as if there was nothing unusual.

"Oh, M-mr. Armando, I just wanted to thank you for saving me." Maya stammered.

"Ha…! Is that all?"

"No, I uh…found this." She placed the leather book down on the table and nudged it forward. "I figured that you might want it."

"I also see that you found Mia's old bracelet." He commented.

"Oh this?" Maya quickly removed it. "I was just temporarily wearing it to free my hands." She placed it on top of the diary and nudged them both towards the man who was formally known as Diego Armando. "You can have it."

He took the bracelet off of the diary and handed it to Maya. "No, it's yours; Mia would have wanted it that way."

After he said this, Maya found that she had great difficulty looking up at his face. Her shyness reminded Godot of his first encounter with Mia and how shy she was at that moment. This just re-affirmed his decision; the bracelet belonged with Maya. He wordlessly picked up the diary.

"So this is Mia's old diary…" He fanned the pages.

"Yeah, I think she would have wanted you to read it." She paused for a moment. "She really did love you…"

Godot chucked. "I know."

Maya shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "…Would you like to see her again?"

He took a gulp of his coffee before responding. "…Of course I would."

Maya focused all of her energy inward and felt her spirit slowly leave her and a new one inhabit her body. Mia's spirit finally settled inside of Maya and she stared at Godot who was just a few feet away from him.

"Mia…" He breathed. He placed his coffee cup down on the table. He reached out his hand and stroked Mia's smooth cheek with the back of his hand just to check if she was real.

She raised her hand and held it over his. "I…I…" She was totally at a loss for words. "I missed you." She choked out, trying her best not to cry.

"I've missed you too..." He admitted. It was funny; over the years he thought of so many things that he would say to Mia but now that she was standing in front of him, he was at a loss for words. Judging by Mia's expression, he could tell she was feeling the same way.

"…I see that you've found my diary." Mia said just to break the silence.

"Maya read it and insisted that I did the same." He responded a little too quickly.

Mia laughed. "I really don't mind you reading it; it's just stuff that you already knew."

"I hope you wrote good things about me." He teased.

"Of course I did." She paused. "You were one of my best friends, did you know that?"

"You were the same for me; that's one of the reasons why it was so hard to wake up and find you…gone." He shook his head and returned to drinking his coffee. "I wish I was dead so I could be with you once again."

"Don't say that!" Mia's voice raised slightly. "You must live your life to the fullest!"

He sighed. "I don't have any desire to though…"

"Then find one; just keep on living. It's my only request."

He sighed once again. "Ok, I'll do it for you."

"Do it for yourself too. You owe it to yourself to live a happy life." She folded her arms.

"You always have been stubborn…kitten."

She smiled at him. "I'm glad that I got to see you again."

"I feel the same way."

Mia let out a sigh. "I should give Maya back her body now."

"Yeah…"

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. "Good bye, Diego."

"Good bye, my kitten." He responded. This time, he didn't feel the same heartache that he felt waking up that one fateful day and hearing of her death. It helped give him closure. Watching Mia walk out that door was strangely comforting. When she was out of view, he opened up the diary, took a sip of his coffee, and began to read. When he read the beautiful words that Mia put down in that old, tattered, leather book he felt a moist liquid roll down the side of his face.

Sure enough, he was crying.

_Fin. _

A/N: So, that's the end of the "Beginning of the End." I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who took the time to review; each review meant a lot to me. Also, thank you to The Full Neko Alchemist for helping me with the story (along with all of my other stories) and for talking to me and just being an all-around good friend. Also, thank you AraelMoonchild for making the movie and listening to my PW rants. Most of all, I'd like to thank you, the reader. Thank you for reading this story; it means a lot to me.


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